


Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the World

by WizardsGirl



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: AND won't be required to!, Adventure, Amnesia, Amnesiatic Main Character, And also DOESN'T want to go back in any way shape or form, Bounty Hunting, But if it has been please tell me so I can read it, Chapter Notes Are Important, Competition, Competitive Work Place, Eeveelutions corner the Evelution Stone Market, Family, Flashbacks/Memory Resurfacing, Friendship, Gen, Guilds have Rules and a Leveling System, Human Turned Pokemon, I haven't really seen this done yet, Kakashi Eat Your Heart Out, New Guild(s), New World, No Dimensional Scream, No Kecleon Markets just Eeveelutions, No super-powers at all beyond Canon, Original Character(s), Original Towns, Pokemon Abilities Matter Outside of Fighting, Sorry Not Sorry, Suggestions welcome, Tagging as I go, Teamwork, Thanks, Where the Guilds are like Hidden Villages, Where the main character DOESN'T tell anyone she was human, Who else compared PMD to Naruto?, also, new idea, seriously though, this is gonna be fun, treasure, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2018-12-31 03:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12123900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizardsGirl/pseuds/WizardsGirl
Summary: She couldn't remember much from Before. Just... Little things. Scary things. Hospital corridors and pain and fear and run, run, Run, RUN AND-Then, there was a flash of light and, and she was Falling...When she came to, the memories of Before were... Shrouded. Misty. There but Not There at the same time, but, that was okay, because she didn't WANT to remember.Still, she kept three things close to her heart.One: She had been Human, in the Before, but she wasn't now.Two: She had been fifteen Before, but Age doesn't mean anything when they used Level's to count Maturity here.And Three: Her name? Was Abby.





	1. Prologue: Thunderstorm Tidings

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be a story posted on FF.N out of Spite for an asshole Anon who can't read Authors Notes or Profile Notes, but then I decided that he didn't deserve the extra attention and so turned off Anon-Reviewing over there.
> 
> So, instead, I posted this here, because AO3, while not as generous with it's reviews/comments as FF.N, is still a nice place to work with (And the Tagging System is hella fun :P ) 
> 
> So, Notes for Chapters will be in the Beginning Notes. Notes on Characters (in Chapter or how they relate to those In Chapter) will be at the bottom of each Chapter. Notes for the Story as a whole will be in the End Notes! And so, onward we go!
> 
> Chapter Notes: I struggled with this chapter, to be honest, because I wanted the Main Character, Abby, to come off as confused/uncertain but also with a little bit of knowledge that would help her beyond her name and that she was Human. Writing an Amnesiac is actually a little difficult, because there are points when I feel that it can be taken TOO far, such as someone being an amnesiac and yet still knowing how to dance or NOT knowing how to do daily-life things such as getting dressed. An Amnesiac is not an Idiot. Certain motions are so ingrained in our behavior, due to the way we're raised, that it is literally something we don't consciously think about and/or remember doing. And, just because you lack memories to a certain extent, does not mean you forget how to form LOGICAL CONCLUSIONS.
> 
> So, yeah, I struggled a bit trying to find a good middle-ground of too-much-knowledge/too-little-knowledge. I hope that I managed to do so, and would appreciate some feedback on how I did, thank you!

**Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:**

_Explorers of the World!_

 

**Prologue:**

_Thunderstorm Tidings_

 

Thunder roared through the dark night sky, lightning dancing erratic, blindingly bright flashes against stone-gray clouds while rain fell like pebbles, hard and cold and fast.

_(She remembered running, running from... Someone... And fear, so much fear, fear and pain and movemovemove, she had to keep moving, had to get away, they, they? They were going to **get her**!)_

The air cracked with another wave of sound, thunder so loud it shook the ground and air.

_(Then, then there was, was a flash of light... And... And she was **falling**...)_

Another thunderous crash, an even brighter flash of lightning.

A shape fell from the clouds, a shadow just a shade darker than the black night. Near invisible in the downpour and darkness, it plunged from the sky and into the sea.

_(The world was... So very dark and... and cold... There, there was muffled sound, like thunder, and distant, murky flashes of light.)_

Lightning flashed as another shape dove in after the first one.

_(There was darkness... Her chest hurt, felt too heavy and full but she couldn't breathe... There, there was something there! There, in the darkness... There was... a... shape...)_

Darkness swallowed the world after one last flash of violently bright lightning.

_(She knew no more)_

 

**… … … … … …**

 

She woke with a start, fevered and panting and everything around her looking... _Strange_. She couldn't move beyond a hoarse, weak cough, panting for breath and bleary-eyed. Someone was there, then, easing her back into the... The nest? The nest of, of tattered blankets and straw. The person... No, no, if she squinted, she could make out that it wasn't a human helping her, but a Pokemon, a large frog-like Pokemon covered in dark and pale blues with bright red eyes... A, a Seismitoad? That's, that's what it was called, right?

...Ugh, she felt sick.

The Pokemon put something up to her mouth, a bowl or cup of something cool and faintly minty, and she gulped it down eagerly, slowed only by the hold the large Pokemon had on the container.

When the cup was empty, it helped her lay down comfortably, covering her up with a piece of quilt and she felt small next to it. Small and cared for in a way she'd never felt before...

She slipped into darkness with a sigh, and knew no more.

 

**… … … … … … …**

 

She faded in an out of consciousness for what seemed like days. The Seismitoad returned often, along with what she vaguely knew were it's pre-evolutions, Palpitoad and Tympole. And it was during these vague, fuzzy points of awareness that she realized something wasn't _right_.

Like the fact that everything was so much _bigger_ now. She knew, vaguely and in that sense that ' _everyone_ knows this' way, that she had never been a very tall child. But this was _different_. The Seismitoad, for example, could pick her up and move her around with ease, as if she was a basket-ball instead of a fifteen-year-old. And, and the Tympole and Palpitoad were both bigger than they should have been as well!

And then there were the _colors_.

Everything was _bright_ , but not the cold, cold brightness of hospital rooms or corridors, no, it was _warm_. The room was made of strange, warped brown wood, and, and _sunlight_ filtered through the cracks sometimes, gold and _warm_ and _bright_. She hadn't been out in the sun in... In...

...She couldn't remember... She couldn't remember much of any details, anymore, but that was okay, because, because she didn't _want to_ right now. So, so that was fine.

 _She_ was fine...

...Anyways. The sizes and colors weren't the only thing weird, the feeling in the _air_ was different. It wasn't stale or cold or filled with grim determination or dread or grief or _death_ anymore. There was a sound, like, like waves, like an _ocean_ , and, and the air was fresh and a little salty and wet but _good_.

She picked this all up between long stretches of darkness, but it was enough for her to know she was somewhere far, far different than the place _before_.

And it made falling into the darkness, into _sleep_ , feel so much _better_ than ever before.

And so, she curled up in her nest, fever raging, and slept peacefully in her little, warm room.

 

**… … … … … … … …**

 

She woke slowly, for once not feeling muddled and achy. Golden light, so warm and gentle, filled her room with glowing shafts. Breathing in that fresh, salty air, she sighed it back out slowly and carefully, oh-so- _carefully,_ lifted her head to peer around herself.

Now that her head wasn't fuzzy and unfocussed she could see for herself that the strange, warped wood made up all four walls and the floor, but that the roof was made of dead, gray-brown... Grass? Not, not _grass_ grass, but, but something like it? She couldn't remember the right word for it, only had vague memories of _before_ that were... Not _gone_ , exactly, but not _there_ either. It was, it was like she had them all in a bowl, and she could see them, but something was covering them now, like a veil or cloth, something that made it so she could still _feel_ them, still knew they were in the bowl, but couldn't _see_ them anymore...?

She didn't know if she was even making sense in her own head, anymore. Did she ever make sense to begin with?

Still, she _knew_ that everything was _different_.

And, staring down at herself, at the bright blue fur and black back half and strange, gold-colored star on the end of a _tail_ , she knew _this_ , at least, wasn't just in her head. Because, in the _before_? The _before_ that hurt and scared her and confused her all the same?

She had definitely been _human_. Not, not _this_ , not a _Shinx_. And, and that was bad!

...Wasn't it?

Before she could decide if it _was_ bad, part of the wall across from her was pulled away, exposing what seemed like a doorway, and there was the Seismitoad that had been taking care of her for however long she'd been there, holding a bowl of gently steaming food. The-other?-Pokemon paused, blinking bright red eyes at her in surprise, before offering a soft, warm smile.

“Ah, I see you're awake, little one,” the Seismitoad, a female by _her voice_ (Pokemon could _talk_? Was, was that normal? Did they do that _before_?), said as she walked across the room and crouched easily next to the girl's-Shinx's?-nest. “I am glad. I was beginning to worry that your fever would prove too strong for the tonic to take.”

“...Tonic?” she asked tentatively; the Seismitoad nodded calmly.

“A mix of herbs and berries that fight the toxins in your system and the burning fever,” she explained to the confused girl/Shinx. “It has been nine days and nights since I pulled you from the sea, and it has been a fierce battle between you and the illness that took you.” Her gaze went sharp and stern and the, the _Shinx_ , winced instinctively. “What were you thinking, going about in such a storm, and you so young and with no elder to Anchor you from getting Lightning Drunk?!” The Shinx cringed into the nest, distantly wondering at the distinctly _odd_ feeling of her ears pinning back.

“I, I don't know?” she offered uncertainly. “I don't, I don't remember anything? I...” She trailed off, forehead wrinkling in confusion. “I remember... Running from, from someone? They were going to... do something, something that, that hurt? And then I was in the air,” she murmured, reaching up (with a _paw_?) and rubbing her head uncertainly, startled to find it wrapped in the strange grass-plant that made up the roof, only this one brown-green and faintly damp when she pulled it off in confusion, and smelling strangely sweet.

“I see,” Seismitoad murmured, stern expression softening and becoming something more compassionate. “This happens, at times, when a fever rises too high for too long,” she informed the Shinx gently. “But the mind is like a Donphan, it forget's nothing in total. You will remember, mayhaps tomorrow, mayhaps a year from tomorrow, but it will come back to you, child,” she reassured, before leaning forward and offering the bowl. “Come now, eat, rest. Stay as long as you wish and I and my children will help get you onto your paws,” she urged kindly; the Shinx nodded, still uncertain, but offered a smile as she leaned forward to carefully sip at the hot, savory broth-like liquid (was it supposed to be blue?).

“Thank you, ma'am,” she murmured; the Seismitoad smiled at her.

“My name is Sagara, little one,” she offered gently. “You, perhaps, remember my children? They have been very curious about you, and I know they have been in here more often then I have given them permission to be,” she murmured, clearly amused; the Shinx paused to swallow her mouthful, forehead wrinkling in careful thought once more.

“The, um, the Palpitoad and the Tympole, right?” she offered uncertainly; Sagara nodded with a warm smile.

“Yes, my silly little Eggs,” she sighed. “The Palpitoad is my eldest, and only, daughter. Her name is Morie. My son, the Tympole, is Mano. They are the brightest joy in my life,” she crooned happily, beaming brightly, and the Shinx could only offer a hesitant smile.

“They seemed nice, from what I remember,” she offered softly before continuing to eat; Sagara bobbed her head.

“I raised them to always be kind with my patients,” she stated calmly, pulling the now empty bowl away. “It is not often I am needed to care long-term for any who come to my door, but even the sweetest-tempered of Pokemon can become raging Gyarados while sick,” she said wisely, smiling. “I am very glad you are awake, little one, but now I wish for you to rest as much as possible, to regain your strength, understood?” The Shinx hesitated, blinking a few times, before nodding her head uncertainly.

“Yes, Sagara,” she agreed softly; the Seismitoad nodded.

“Do you remember your name?” She asked gently; the Shinx stilled, once more falling into deep thought, eyes closing as she struggled to remember.

Her name, what was her name? Her name, her name, her _name_ , _her_ name, _her name was_ -

“Abby,” she whispered, opening her eyes to meet Sagara's once again. “My name is _Abby_.”

 

**End Chapter**

**Character Notes:**  "Abby" is the name I always pick for the main character in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. (I'm almost always an Eevee and 99% of the time my partner is Shinx (named Keegan or Ryan or Leo depending on mood) but this last time I chose a Phanpy named Finn and omfg they have the dopiest walk and throw their cute little trumpets around and are a freaking TANK in the game I kid you not). 

Sagara (Hindi for Ocean) is pretty much the local Hedgewitch, in that she uses Herbal Concoctions to help her fellow Pokemon, believes in spirit guides and the stars telling the future/past, and that Karma is a Serious Thing. Her home is made of Driftwood. Her Palpitoad daughter Morie (originally Moree, which is Australian for Water) loves her mother and brother, but wants nothing more than to live the big life, with lots of shiny things surrounding her and lots of money and prestige. The Tympole Son, Mano (Hawaiian for Shark), is your typical boy in that he's always off on an 'adventure' and poking his nose where it doesn't belong and bothering people about what they're doing (this tends to get him lost and/or in a lot of trouble most days).

All the Pokemon in this World have Actual Names, unlike the original PMD's series where only the Main Character and Partner got names. All the names are randomly selected out of my Baby Name Book or are picked because it's easy to remember/alliteration. Example: All Eeveelutions have names that start with the letter of whatever Eeveelution they are. All Eevee's have E names (and will not Evolve in this fic). They're also the Kecleon Brothers, basically, or maybe the Nurse Joy's? In that they're all like "Oh, you must mean my cousin/aunt/uncle/sister/twin from such-and-such!! Don't worry, we get that all the time~!! ( ^-^)/` "

HINT/SPOILER - The Town they're Closest to is NOT the Guild Town

 

 


	2. Chapter One: Beach Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Notes: I had difficulty portraying characters and providing information without being too specific/too ramble-y.... I think I failed. The history lesson was the wild pokemon that jumped out of the grass and bit me on the left ass-cheek, I apologize. Things still seem stilted, but I did my best, and so I call it done.

**Pokemon Mystery Dungeons:**

_Explorers of the Sky!_

 

**Chapter One:**

_Beach Town_

 

Abby did rest, dozing in her nest and listening to what was definitely beginning to sound like an ocean, enjoying the soothing sound of waves and the distant calls of-other?-Pokemon. It was very quiet, and calm, and she enjoyed being well enough to be _aware_ of the almost idyllic atmosphere...

“Ma! Ma! Is she awake?!” a loud, high-pitched call of a young boy's voice shattered the calm, swiftly followed by the sound of another door being pulled back and small feet smacking against the ground.

“Mano, quiet down!” Another voice, slightly older and definitely feminine, scolded immediately after. “... _Is_ she awake, though?” Abby lifted her head, feeling her large ears flick and spread out a little bit to better hear the sounds of the two siblings. Sagara's voice chuckled.

“Awake and without fever, yes,” she answered; immediately, the one Abby now realized must be Mano the Tympole cheered loudly, and almost covered the heavy, relieved sigh of what must be Morie the Palpitoad.

“Thank Arceus,” Morie's voice declared; Sagara hummed, a vibrating sound so strong the floor-boards trembled.

“And the Spirits,” she agreed. “It seems like young Abby is still within the Steps of Xernes, instead of beneath Yveltals Wings. Although, silly Egg's, I warn you now, the fever has damaged her memories.” Morie gasped softly.

“Her memories?” Mano asked.

“It seems she has very little recollection of how she ended up alone in the storm, let alone how she fell into the sea. Only a sense of being hunted remains, and her name.” Silence fell, and Abby shifted in her nest uncertainly.

“She's okay now, though, right?” Mano asked; another floor-thrumming hum.

“Indeed, sweet Egg, she is. You may go and check yourself, if you'd like,” Sagara teased kindly; immediately, there was the sound of rushing footsteps, being followed by slightly heavier-sounding steps. Abby struggled upright, her head aching a bit and her arms-legs? Forelegs?-shaky from disuse. She managed it, just as the makeshift door to her room was pushed to the side and she found her room all but invaded by an excitedly vibrating Tympole and his exasperated, yet curious, sister.

“You're awake!” The Tympole exclaimed, bouncing around happily for as moment, as Abby offered an uncertain smile.

“I am, thank you,” she agreed; Morie walked over and nudged her excited little brother with her head.

“Calm down, Mano, you'll make her nauseous, bouncing all over the place,” the older Pokemon scolded, exasperated, before offering Abby a sweet smile. “We're glad you're okay,” she told the Shinx, Mano nodding exuberantly next to her. “I'm Morie, and-”

“I'm Mano!” the Tympole interrupted, loudly, only to deflate with a sheepish giggle as Morie huffed at him.

“I'm Abby,” the Shinx offered in return; the two lit up, both grinning happily at her.

“Are you gonna go home once you get better?” Mano asked, stepping forward in order to nudge a bit of red scrap-cloth back into the nest. Abby hesitated, forehead wrinkling.

“I... I don't think I _had_ , um, _home_ , Before,” she told them uncertainly, wincing as her temples began to ache a little, reaching up to rub her head. “I don't remember, really, but I don't get the, uh, _feeling_ that I did? I'm not sure,” she murmured, dropping her paw to blink at the wide-eyed duo. The other Pokemon shared a look.

“Then you'll just have to stay with us!” Mano declared loudly, Morie hesitantly nodding along.

“We'll have to discuss it with Mother, but I don't think she'd mind you living with us,” the Palpitoad informed her, before she straightened, nodding firmly. “I'll go ask, Mano, stay here and _don't_ bother Abby,” she ordered her brother sternly; Mano rolled his eyes but nodded, and Morie hurriedly padded from the room.

“She's always so _bossy_!” Mano immediately complained to Abby, rolling his eyes. “She thinks she's _so_ smart, just 'cause she helps Shelly keep inventory at her shop and is good with numbers and stuff.” He pouts, and Abby isn't sure if he's expecting her to respond or just listen, so she offers him a small smile instead. Immediately, the Tympole's irritated pout vanishes behind a bright smile, and he bounces in place happily (it's this moment when Abby realized the 'running footsteps' sound wasn't feet at all, but the sound of the Tympole's body and tail tapping against the ground at slightly-off beats).

“I can't wait to show you around Beach Town, Abby!” he gushed at her happily. “I'll show you all the really cool places to play and and treasure hunt! And, and I'll introduce you to Weirdo Finn! You'll like him! I mean,” he glanced towards the doorway before leaning closer and whispering conspiratorially. “His name's not _actually_ 'Weirdo Finn', but just Finn, but most of us call him that anyways cause, see, he's this little Finneon who set up a Trade Shop, called Finn's Finds, about three months ago. Well, he collects random things that have washed up or been left in weird places, right? And he'll just hand it out to Pokemon if they ask, without charging them or asking for something in return, 'cause, apparently, he owns this big Pearl Mine out between Rustic and Sulpher Island, which is in a chain outside _Silver Island_ , so why he's here on Gold Island no one knows, but, anyways,” the Tympole paused to take a deep breath, and Abby did too. He spoke very quickly. “Anywaysd, he has, like, a _lot_ of money, so, so he doesn't even _need_ a shop but, when I asked him, he just said it was somethin' to do to _pass the time_! Like, isn't that _weird_?!” He demanded; Abby could only shrug uncertainly, blinking at him.

“But... Is his shop helping peo—er, Pokemon?” she asked him; Mano paused and thought it over.

“...Well,” he started, reluctantly, frowning in thought. “He _did_ find old Miss Genie's missing Lucky Goggles. She's the Golduck that helps out at the Marooned Messenger's Inn,” he explained at Abby's confused look. “See, she sometimes does Swimming Races in the summer, and is the Swim Champion of Beach Town, but last summer, she lost her Lucky Goggles during a storm, and she was refusing to race again without them, but Weirdo Finn found them tangled up in some seaweed and handed them over without more than a 'looking forward to racing you!'” here, Mano tried to make his voice deeper, and was surprisingly able to, the round half-sphere's on his head vibrating at a weird, high-speed pace, probably helping him change his voice. He stopped and returned to the story.

“And, a couple days before Ma found you, he gave us a _biiiig_ basket of Kelpsy Berries and seaweed for Ma to use! For free, too!” He exclaimed; Abby smiled a little.

“So, I guess it's not so weird at all, him wanting to help p-Pokemon, right?” she offered; Mano hesitated, then sighed, his tail flicking like a reluctant, sulking kick at the ground.

“Yeah, I _guess_ ,” he muttered, pouting, and Abby chuckled a little. He was cute... Footsteps from the doorway had them both looking up, to find a beaming Morie there.

“Mother says you can live here as long as you like!” the Palpitoad announced happily. “That mean's you're practically my new sister! I always wanted a sister!” Mano cheered, bouncing happily as Morie hopped over as well, and Abby couldn't help but laugh.

Somehow, she felt lighter than ever.

 

**… … … … … … … …**

 

It took a few days before Abby felt well enough, and Sagara _said_ she was well enough, to venture outside her nest. She discovered, then, that the place she would be staying was a decent-sized shack on the edge of a silvery-blue sea, with pink-yellow sand and thick foliage in the distance.

There was a _lot_ of beach.

“The driftwood that make's up our home was gathered by my mother and father themselves,” Sagara informed her as Abby stared around herself, marveling. “It was collected right here, on this beach, when I was but a Tympole myself. The seaweed that makes up the roof is reapplied every spring and fall, so that it does not crumble under the summer sun or winter chill.” _So that's what the not-grass is_ , Abby thought, before her attention was grabbed by Mano as he bounced over.

“Come on, Abby!” He urged excitedly, Morie waiting a little ways off, tail flicking happily. “We're gonna show you Beach Town!” Glancing at Sagara and receiving an encouraging nod, Abby followed the siblings as they hurried along the beach. Occasionally, they'd stop to dig something out of the sand at the water's edge, Abby helping. They found two pretty shells, what looked like some sort of large pink scale, and a grime-covered bottle with something inside it.

“Finn's place is closest to us, so we'll stop by there to give him these,” Morie informed her as they padded along, the found items stuffed into a small bag the Palpitoad had. “Then we'll take you around town and introduce you to everyone! They're all curious about you, you know,” she informed Abby happily. “They're always curious about Mother's new patients, so don't be surprised if they all start asking you questions. We went ahead and explained your memory loss, but some Pokemon are just nosy and can be rude.”

“She say's that 'cause _she's_ nosy and rude,” Mano announced, before squealing as his sister knocked him into a roll with a huff, sending the Tympole into Abby's side, where she stopped his roll with a paw and a smile.

“That's okay,” she told them both honestly. “As long as they aren't mean about it, I don't mind answering what questions I can... But I don't think there will be many I _can_ answer,” she admitted, absently rubbing her head as they continued, wincing as she got sand on her face.

“Come on, Abby!” Mano shouted, throwing himself forward towards the top of the sand-hill they were walking up. “It's just over this hill!” Abby shook the sand off her face and shared a glance with Morie, before the two girls ran up the hill after him. At the top, Abby froze, eyes going wide as she stared out at the town that lay before them.

“Whoa,” she murmured, stunned, as Morie and Mano beamed at her. There were several buildings, some of them obviously simple homes and the rest of them shops of some sort. And most of the shops were brightly colored and shaped almost like Pokemon, with a few differences. The biggest building was actually made of what looked like a wrecked ship, on the farthest edge of the town, built half-in the water.

“That's Marooned Messenger's Inn,” Morie told her, nodding at the ship. “And, over there, that's Shelly's Shell's, where I work sometimes,” she offered eagerly, gesturing as a small building built fully on the sand, that was shaped like a dark purple oyster or clam.

“Over there's the Treasure Chest!” Mano told her excitedly, drawing her attention to a large brown hut that was shaped like a chest, which had a short, dark pier trailing out behind it. “Old Man Gyarados owns that, he's a _treasure hunter_ ,” the boy told her with relish. “Him and his Magikarp Crew hunt for wrecked ships and buried treasure, and they sell it here and ship it to other towns too!”

“And that's the Sea Breeze Spa!” Morie interrupted, making Abby's head turn in yet another direction (she was starting to get dizzy). The building in question looked like a coiled Milotic, with rainbow-stained glass windows and jewel-bright accents on its pink-and-tan walls. “It's run by Marina, she's a Milotic originally from over on Bronze Island, in the Aqua Island Chains. She runs it with her three daughters, Coral, Lotus, and Aloe, but Aloe's the youngest and is the only Feebas right now.”

“And that's Ben's Reef Ride!” Mano continued, naming a dark blue building that looked vaguely like a turtle shell, at the end of a long peer. “Ben's great! He's a Lapras, and he does tours for a bit of coin or trade, he'll pull a boat or let you ride on his back, and take you out to this little island that's actually made _entirely_ out of a _huge_ reef! Quinn, that's his partner, is kinda rude and gruff, but he's a Qwilfish, so, that's typical, right?”

“That gold building, the one that look's like a ball?” Morie said, gesturing at the one in question, nearly right smack in the middle of town. “That's our very own Evolution Solution shop! It's run by this really nice Vaporeon named Vanora, and her two daughters, Lyra and Erica. Lyra evolved into a Leafeon recently, Erica was _so_ jealous, 'cause _she's_ older but hasn't evolved and she wants to be an Espeon, see?” A little lost, Abby can only nod, smiling as the two siblings grin at her.

“And _that_ is Finn's Findings!” They both said together, pointing at a completely plain brown hut, that would look similar to Sagara's own, only it was made out of fine, dark wood with no gaps between the planks, and it was oddly spherical, more so than the Evolution Solutions building, which had a flat roof.

“Come on!” Morie urged, bumping her head into Abby's shoulder to send the Shinx stumbling forward a little, Mano laughing as he rolled himself down the hill like a tiny, squealing boulder. “Let's go!” And Abby went, laughing a little herself as she stumbled into a run, racing down the side of the sand hill with Morie almost surfing beside her, the Palpitoad using her tail and flat feet to slide with a surprising amount of grace down to the bottom, where Mano was swirly-eyed with dizziness and giggling to himself, flat on his back and vibrating faintly.

“You okay, Mano?” Abby asked, giggling as she staggered to a stop, smiling widely; the Tympole rolled slowly upright, swaying dizzily, and giggling himself.

“D-dizzy~!” he giggled; Abby laughed and Morie rolled her eyes.

“Come _on_ , you two! What are you, _Slowpokes_?” The Palpitoad demanded; Abby grinned and nudged the Tympole carefully forward, padding along beside his dizzy, zigzagging steps and occasionally catching him before he could fall. By the time they reached Finn's Findings, he was back to normal and bouncing along in front of her happily. Abby admired the smooth, waxed appearance of the building as the siblings leg her to the door, and liked the way the black-and-opal-colored lettering, lined with a thin border of pink, looked against the dark wood.

“ _Finn's Findings_ ,” she read, squinting at the smaller writing beneath the larger letters. “ _If We Found It, It's Here_...? That's a little strange,” she admitted; Mano nodded.

“ _Told_ you he was weird,” he informed her sagely, only to yelp when Morie swatted him with her tail.

“Don't be rude!” She hissed, huffing, before pushing open the door and leading them in. “Finn! Are you here?” She called into the neat, if cluttered, shop. Abby gazed around with interest. There was all sorts of things collected on shelves and in baskets or glass tanks. Strange looking plants, both in water, hanging from pots, or growing out of the very ground. There were gleaming rocks that she vaguely recognized-?-as precious stones and gems, some different sized pearls, and the whole store was lite in an amber glow thanks to these strange, gleaming rocks that were hanging from the ceiling every few feet.

“Whoa,” she murmured, admiring the rocks.

“Quite pretty, aren't they?” A deep voice directly next to her asked; instinctively, Abby yowled, her fur standing on end and her head hunching as she whirled to glare at the stranger, lips pulled tight and a faint, crackling sound coming from her stiff, twitching tail. Immediately, the Finneon she found in front of her backed up, smiling nervously and patting the air in a calming way as sweat beaded his forehead.

“Ah, h-hah, s-sorry about that!” He exclaimed, chuckling weakly. “Bad habit of mine, really. I mean no harm!”

“It's okay, Abby!” Mano told her, making her glance at him, fur immediately starting to resettle, along with her heartbeat. “That's Finn! He always just sorta pops up when Pokemon come in. He get's Morie to squeal sometimes,” the younger Pokemon (was he younger? She thought so...) grinned mischievously and, finally, the tension in Abby's shoulders released and her tail stopped glowing and sparking faintly, making her sigh as she abruptly sat down.

“ _I_ almost squealed,” she complained, shaking her head, and Finn chuckled, wiping sweat from his head and offering a sweet smile.

“Truly, I am sorry for startling you so badly, Abby, was it?” He told her. “You must be the Pokemon dear Sagara has been tending for days now, correct?” She offered him a nod and he beamed. “I'm most please to see you have recovered! Welcome to Beach Town, it's quite nice, isn't it? Very peaceful,” he chatted, moving forward as if he was swimming, although Abby saw him hop a little every so often. “I am Finn, I own and run this little shop, as these two have no doubt informed you,” he told her, nodding indulgently towards Mano and the returned Morie. “Before I startled you, I had noticed you admiring my Glow Stone lights! Beautiful, aren't they?” he asked, repeating his first question, and Abby once more looked up at the glowing stone lights.

“They are,” she told him honestly; he beamed, and the pink spots on his tail seemed to glow in the dim lighting with his delight.

“They were a gift from a dear friend, Douglas, a Dugtrio who runs the Glow Stone mine on the far side of Bronze Island,” he gushed, bouncing a little in place happily. “I was oh so pleased, you see, because the only other lights I have are better suited for the Festivals, and those require an Electric-Type Pokemon to Charge them, and that would have to be done every day, and, well, not many of your Type come around Beach Town,” he chuckled, winking one pink eye at her. “Few too many Water-Types to make anyone comfortable, you know? But, seeing as how Sagara's family are dual Water/ _Ground_ -Types, why, it's the perfect arrangement! I'm so glad,” he declared happily; Abby smiled back at him, a little bemused, but nodded in acknowledgement all the same.

“We brought you more stuff, Finn!” Morie jumped in before the Finneon could continue to babble; instantly, the Water-Type turned his pink eyes on her, and the Palpitoad hopped away, towards what looked like a counter.

“Let's see what we have today, hmm?” Finn asked, moving after Morie with Abby following after. Mano had promptly hopped away, vanashing into the shelves curiously. Once Finn was behind the counter, Morie dumped their findings out on the counter. “Ooh, those _are_ some pretty shells, though you may want to keep those to sell to Shelly. She _does_ get miffed with me selling seashells,” he chuckled, nudging the two shells back towards the Palpitoad. “And this, here, is a Deep Sea Scale, which Miss Karen can use, so you can take that with you since she work's at Shelly's,” he told her cheerfully, nudging the pink scale at her too. “Clampearls, you see, have two ways to Evolve, and one is using this Deep Sea Scale. While Miss Karen has been a Clampearl for, well, several years I imagine, she might decide using this to become Gorebyss. If we can find her a Deep Sea Tooth, as well, then she'd get to decide between that or being a Huntail.... Of course,” he mused. “She could just be content being a Clampearl. Some Pokemon get all fussy when asked if they wish to evolve,” he informed Abby, absently, as he peered at the grim-covered bottle.

“What's in it?” Morie asked, peering over the counter at it, while Mano came hopping out of the back with a shiny necklace hanging from his mouth.

“I do believe that this is a Message Bottle, Dear Morie,” Finn informed them cheerfully. “Oh, I do so love finding these little things~! You see, sometimes Pokemon from the smaller Island Chains can't send messages to the larger Islands for one reason or another,” he informed the trio of curious Pokemon. “So, they write out their letter or request, tuck it into a water-proof bottle, and toss it into the tide, for the current to take it!”

“How do they know it'll even _reach_ a bigger Island, though?” Abby asked; Finn blinked, then smiled.

“Ah, well, you see, young Abby, each of the three Islands have a very specific Tide and Current Pattern,” he told her warmly. “Bronze Island has a clockwise current, that, over twelve hours, goes completely around it. So, if one were to throw a bottle into the tide at, say, Noon, then by Midnight it would appear on the Main Islands largest beach. Silver Island has on that it _counter_ -clockwise, and does the same every twenty-four hours. Our own Gold Island has a _switching_ current, in that, every seven days, it turns from a Clockwise Current, to a Counter-clockwise Current, and our Tide is every eighteen hours. Does that make sense?” he asked kindly; Abby frowned in thought.

“What's our current this week?” She asked; Morie spoke up.

“We're in a Clockwise Current this week,” she told the Shinx; Abby thought for a moment.

“So... So someone on a smaller island to the... The West? Threw the bottle into the sea?” She asked; Finn beamed.

“Very good!” He informed her happily. “And, when we are Counter-clockwise, bottles will wash up on the _East_ of the beach. I collect them here, you see, and give those who bring them a bit of a treat in thanks,” he winked, nudging forward a small basket, that held what looked like little fish-shaped cookies. “Have one,” he urged, smiling, as the trhee of them did so, Mano hopping up to set his find on the counter.

“What do you do with them?” Abby asked, nibbling on her own cookie, something that tasted vaguely like vanilla and maybe tuna? Hmm...

“Why, open them, of course,” Finn told her cheerfully. “I open them and then see where they go. You'd be surprised how many Pokemon are just bored and wanting to see who will respond. But sometimes I get Mission Requests for the Guild, and that's _always_ so _exciting_!” The Finneon exclaimed, all but wriggling with glee; Abby blinked.

“What Guild?” She asked, confused; the three Water-Types blinked at her, then shared a look.

“Wow,” Mano said. “I didn't think the memory loss covered _that_!”

“Mano!” Morie and Finn both exclaimed, disapproving; the Tympole huffed. “What? The Guild's are _famous_!”

“Don't make fun of Abby!” Morie scolded while the Shinx in question just stared at them all, wide-eyed and confused. “She can't control her memory loss! Idiot!” She scolded whacking the Tympole with her tail and chasng him across the room as he squawked in complaint.

“I apologize for him,” Finn told her seriously. “He is a bit young to understand what 'tact' is.”

“Er, it's okay?” Abby offered uncertainly. “I don't really get what the big deal is, but could you explain about the Guilds, please?” Instantly, the Finneon smiled and bobbed his head.

“Of course, come, follow me,” he urged, scooping the bottle up with his fins and moving away. “You see, the Islands we all live on are very, very large and surrounded by many, many smaller chains and single islands,” he told her, leading her to a sectioned off part of the building that seemed to be filled with nothing but maps and diagrams. Finn set the bottle down on a free bit of shelf and pointed her to the largest map, which was three times bigger than Abby and took up a good chunk of wall by itself. On it were three large islands surrounded by smaller islands, with a medium-size Island in the very center.

“These are the Treasure Islands,” he informed her happily. “Gold Island, which is the one we're on, is this one,” he announced, gesturing at the topmost Island, which was shaped almost like a leaf. “It was named that because, in fall, the tree's turn gold. Not just the leaves, but the trunks themselves,” he told her eagerly. “This is Silver Island,” he pointed to the rightmost Island, which looked almost like a clam. “It's tree's turn silver in winter, once all the leaves have fallen. And that is Bronze Island,” he finished, pointing at the last one, which looked similar to a wing, vaguely.

“What's that one in the middle?” Abby asked.

“That is called Tournament Island, and, once a year, the Guilds take their most promising Teams there to compete against one another,” he told her. “But we're getting ahead of ourselves,” he chuckled. “Each of these main Islands, as you can see, is very large,” he told her. Finn hopped up onto one of the nearby shelves to point at a thin stretch of pale tan on the bottom of Gold Island. “This is where we are, at Ivory Beach. Beach Town is right here, in the very center. See the size discrepancy?” Abby nodded, wide-eyed. Really, the Treasure Islands were more like small _continents_ , as far as she could tell. “With the size, populations spread out, small towns cropping up everywhere and, of course, with prosperity comes those who wish to prosper.” Again, Abby nodded.

“Crime rates soared,” he told her seriously. “Pokemon vanishing into the wilds, disappearing, and no one able to find them again. Ruins and treasure being found and fought over and lost again. It was chaos, truly, and the Islands were being torn apart by it. Finally, the three biggest towns chose a Pokemon to speak for the Island as a whole, and the three met here, at Tournament Island,” the Finneon told her, nodding at the smaller, average-looking center Island.

“These three Pokemon came to an agreement, that each Island's inhabitants would stick to their own land. At first, this agreement was enough to settle the major issues, but then, more problems became apparent, such as travelling issues, family, property-claim, thieves moving from one island to another with amnesty, you know, things like that,” he explained, waving a fin about cheerfully. “So, the three Pokemon met again, but, by then, they'd each become more comfortable with the way they ran their own Islands, and a truly vicious fight ensued. It ended when a Tournament Island native, a Steelix, broke up the fight between the three. He declared the Island as Neutral Ground, where none of the three could attack one another, and that if they wished to discuss things like rational Pokemon, he would judge their issues fairly.” Abby nodded along, fascinated by this history lesson a single question had devolved into.

“So, the three Pokemon, beaten and exhausted, stepped back and finally discussed things clearly, and compromises were reached,” Finneon said. “With permission from Steelix, when the tensions rose too high between the three Islands, a group from each one would meet on Tournament Island, to compete against one another for prizes provided by the opposing Islands. The prize would change every time, from money to food to free passage for a year or even for a treasure map, whatever was decided. Beyond this, it was also determined that Criminal Pokemon would be immediately returned to whichever Island they were most wanted in, and that whatever charges the other Islands held would be added on as additional punishment.”

“With these agreements, the three separated and returned to their Islands, and began to gather Pokemon. At first, these Pokemon were trained to fight in the Tournaments, but, as years passed, more and more were brought in for different reasons. Exploration, treasure-hunting, bounty hunting, and several other, smaller issues. The Main Islands took responsibility for their outlying chains, began to send Pokemon in groups of threes and fours to these islands, to aide during tropical storms, or in disputes, or just lend a helping hand. Then, it became the theme of the Islands, and the Guilds were given form.”

“So, the Guilds are like... Like police, or militias, or something?” Abby asked, a little lost; Finneon shook his head.

“There are still police forces, and some towns have their own militia, but Guilds are more like extra help in whatever you're willing to pay for that isn't illegal,” he explained.

“Oh,” she said, still not quite getting it, because it seemed very... Generalized, to her.

“Now a days, Guild Teams are Pokemon sent out to explore, hunt criminals, and bring honor, prestige, and money to their Guild,” the Finneon told her. “It's all much nicer than the fighters of years ago!”

“Okay,” she decided, nodding her head, and Finn cleared his throat to continue.

“Now, the Gold Island Guild is the Superior Guild,” he told her, pointing at a darker section of map only a little ways away from Ivory Beach. “It's here, in Spiral Town, and is lead by Lord Serperior—Yes, that _is_ his name,” he added dryly, clearly amused, as Abby just gave him a befuddled blink. “I'm uncertain if he was, unfortunately, born with it or if he changed it upon final evolution, but it is his name.” With that, he pointed at Silver Island, to a white spot between a trio of mountains.

“This is Snow Town, where the Emperor Guild, lead by Elven, an Empoleon, is found. And, finally, here,” he pointed at a group of mountains on Bronze Island, directly at the top of the highest one. “This is where Peak Town is, home of the Elevated Guild, headed by Valor, a Braviary.” The Finneon jumped down from the shelf, smiling at Abby, before passing around her to head back towards the counter; Abby quickly got up and followed. “Each Island is ridiculously proud of their Guild, Abby. They accept a large number of applicants once a year, and, by the end of that year, those numbers are cut down to a third,” he told her seriously, hopping up behind the counter as the Shinx sat in front of it, bemusedly eyeing the small pile of shiny and strange objects Mano and Morie had collected while she was learning. “The training is hard, and if you don't have a certain level of drive, the peer pressure alone can be vicious.”

“Why do Pokemon join it, then?” she asked.

“It's a really, _really_ good paying job!” Morie chirped as she hopped over, sighing at the sight of the pile of items. “Seriously, Mano?” She complained, before refocusing on Abby. “Being a Guild Member pays _really_ well, once you reach a certain level. And, the idea of finding treasure, saving Pokemon in danger, being a _hero_?!” The Palpitoad's eyes sparkled as she sighed dreamily. “I wish I could find a nice Guildmember for myself, one day,” she told the Shinx; Abby blinked.

“Why don't you join the Guild, then?” She asked, instantly snapping Morie out of her daydream, making the Palpitoad shake her head hurriedly.

“Oh no, I couldn't!” She declared firmly. “Didn't you listen to Finn about how _hard_ it was? I have enough trouble keeping _Mano_ out of trouble, let alone some stranger or object!” She shuddered. “No, I'm happy here in Beach Town, I just, well, I just really wouldn't mind a nice Pokemon to settle down with one day who knew how to treat a girl right, you know?” She sighed happily, and Abby shook her head, bemused.

“Mano, unless you're willing to trade something for all of these,” Finn called, amused, “than you need to put all of them back.”

“Aww!” Came a complaint from somewhere in the back of the shop, and both Abby and Morie shook their heads as Finn chuckled. A glint of silver in the mess caught Abby's eye, and she reached forward to carefully untangle it from a group of charms. It was a necklace, a strong-looking chain with a tiny, silver lightning bolt on it.. Only, it wasn't silver, she realized as the pendant shifted in her paw and a gleam of almost-rainbow shone in the amber Glow Stone light.

“Ah, that's made from the inside of a particularly beautiful shell,” Finn told her. “Shelly traded it for a basket of my cookies! Isn't it nice?” Abby nodded.

“It's very pretty,” she told him; the Finneon eyed her for a moment as Mano reappeared, balancing an empty basket on his head to gather the collection of sparklies he'd picked.

“Why don't you keep it, Abby,” the Finneon told her, smiling. “Think of it as a Welcome to Beach Town gift, as well as a thank you for listening to me babble on,” he chuckled; Abby hesitated.

“Are, are you sure?” She asked him; he nodded, firmly, smiling, and she pulled the necklace on. The pendant landed right in the middle of the base of her neck, flashing faintly as it caught the light, and Abby smiled.

It felt right, something that was just hers.

“I'll be right back, ladies,” Finn announced, suddenly, hoping down from the counter and slipping through the shelves; the two girls shared a bemused look but, seconds later, they heard Finn's voice murmur a question and Mano yelp loudly, and they both laughed.

Abby felt _light_.

 

**Chapter End**

 

 **Character Notes:** “Finn” was originally going to be a Phanpy, in honor of my Partner in my current game of PMD:EotS, but then I figured that a Water-Type would be best, and “Finn the Finneon” was adorably childish. He's also a huge History Nerd. (If you couldn't tell).

 

Shelly sells Seashells at the Sea-Shore. That's the reasoning behind the name for the seashell-seller (She sells shells as themselves, in decorative jewelry like Abby's necklace, attached to lamps and the like, as well as ground up and colored, like the dyed sand/salt you can get in decorative jars. It's a surprisingly well-to-do Tourist shop). Shelly is a Cloyster. Karen the Clampearl is her best friend and assistent.

 

Marooned Messengers was originally going to be the place to go for the Message Bottles, hence the name, but I changed my mind because Finn seemed more likely to collect them. Genie the Golduck works here as an assistant/Desk Clerk. Her boss is Barbara, and Barbaracle, and Guild Teams, depending on their Guild Level, get a certain percentage discount when they stay.

 

Sea Breeze Spa actually _does_ raise a Pokemon's Beauty Stats. It's a favored spot for professional competitors (At least, those on Gold Island). Little Feebas Aloe just doesn't feel like she's ready to evolve. Her mother and sister's are very supportive.

 

Old Man Gyarados is literally that cranky sea captain/grandpa who yells at kids to stay off his lawn when he _doesn't even have a lawn_. None of the Magikarp that work for him are related to him in any way.

 

Beach Town's Evolution Solution Shop was originally ran by a Flareon named Felix, who has since moved to a different town because he got tired of getting wet. Vanora was very amused.

 

Ben's Reef Ride's started as just a silly thing Ben the Lapras would do to introduce little Pokemon to the wonder of the Reef Island. His buddy, Quinn, however saw dollar signs and immediately jumped on that. Ben doesn't care, he just enjoys chatting about his cool reef, the big dork.

 

Finn sends the Bottle Messages through a local group of Pelippers in exchange for cookies and the occasional cup of tea. As most of the Pelippers are what amounts to little old ladies, they adore him and his cute little fin-spots (Finn is terribly embarrassed yet flattered).

 

The three Original Island Pokemon chosen are never named. Gold Island's was a Dragonite, Silver's was a Mamoswine, and Bronze's was a Granbull. Dragon, Ice, and Fairy are all weak against Steel, hence Steelix beating them all. (Meet the Shodai Kage's XD)

 

HINT/SPOILER: Abby has a Serious Nature.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story Notes: I'm working on this between Work, PMD:EotS, and playing in a Tournament on Pokefarm... OF which you should all join and say I recommended you, my user's the same (Coughcough--self-promotion--coughcough) What? ^-^
> 
> Previous End Note still matters~!


	3. Chapter Two: The Summer Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Notes: I wrote this chapter while I was at a Family Reunion and no internet. It took me two days because I constantly second-guessed myself and questioned the spelling and "voice" of the characters and the story itself. Please remember to comment and tell me how it went!!

**Pokemon Mystery Dungeons:**

_Explorers of the World!_

 

**Chapter Two:**

_Summer Festival_

 

Time passes, and with it, Abby finds a _home_. She meets the many store-owners with their various characters and personalities, the citizens who live in Beach Town, even a few different Pokemon just passing through. And she learns.

She learns that Old Man Gyarados will yell at you to get off his lawn, despite not really _having_ a lawn. That Quinn will give you a discount on the Reef Ride if you give him something spicy to eat. That Aloe the Feebas gets lonely sometimes and is happy to sit and chat while her mother and sister's work on raising Pokemon's beauty stats. That Barbara the Barbaracle, owner of the Marooned Messengers, will pay you if you sweep and mop her floors because she loathes doing it. That Finn is always happy to explain anything and everything she gets confused about, no matter how strange or simple it is.

And she learns from Sagara and Morie and Mano. She learns to identify plants and berries that can help or hurt from Sagara. She learns how to tell how well-off a visiting Pokemon is from Morie. And she learns how to hunt down illusive Tympoles and their young friends from Mano (she once found him in a tree. Actually _inside_ it, because he apparently tumbled into an opening near the top and found out the tree was hollow. Seriously, Mano?).

Abby grew to love Beach Town and it's inhabitants. She grew to see it as her _home_ , the Pokemon living there were her _family_. She loved them and all their quirks and clashing personalities, but she especially loved how they always come together, _despite_ those clashing personalities. Like during the Spring Storms, where heavy rain stirred up the sea and threatened to flood. The entire Town worked together, easily and without complaint, setting up sandbag walls and helping brace their neighbors' homes, and, after the storms, they would help with any repairs. The storm Abby had been found during had been the worst of the season and had lasted three days.

But the Spring Storm's were done, moving to the East, towards Bronze Island for it's Summer Storm Season. This meant that it was time for the Gold Island Summer Festival.

“Come on, Abby!” Mano called excitedly as he balanced a basket of shell-decorations on his head, gleefully following his two best friends, Amelia the Azurill and Pauly the Poliwag, who were also carrying baskets of decorations.

“Coming!” Abby replied, picking up her own basket, this one holding rolls of strange lights that Finn had asked her to carry. The entire town was bustling, Pokemon setting up decorations and little games and food-stalls, even Pokemon from out of town were there, chatting with one another and lending a helping hand when they could. A large Snorlax and her three Munchlax sons were setting up what looked like an eating contest at the far end of town, and a pair of Skarmory brothers had set up a stall filled with metal objects made from their melted down feathers. There was a glass-blower Magmar and his Jynx assistant, a Blissey and her Happiny daughter and Ditto husband had a First Aid Tent, and Finn had set up an Exchange Stall which was where Abby would be helping out.

“Come on, come on!” the three young Pokemon called, Pauly giggling as Amelia skipped and Mano bounced to-and-fro.

“You three troublemakers are only so excited because Shelly promised treats if you helped carry the decorations,” Morie declared as she walked past, balancing a plate of star-shaped cakes on her head.

“But she has _Cheri_ _Cakes_ , Morie!” Amelia squealed, beaming brightly as she bounced in place. “They're _soooo_ good!”

“I've got them, Morie, don't worry,” Abby reassured the Palpitoad with a small smile. “I'll make sure they don't get in trouble.”

“Of course you will, Abby,” the other girl sighed. “They'll _listen_ to _you_.” Abby chuckled.

“Who else will dig them out of trees and caves and holes in the ground if they didn't?” Immediately, the three younger Pokemon denied needing anyone's help and that the last time they got stuck wasn't _their_ fault, really!

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Morie declared as she walked away, rolling her eyes as their little group continued onward.

“Ah. There you are, Abby!” Finn declared as he popped up from no where on her right side; instantly, Abby reacted just as she always did to being startled, twisting towards him with a glare, fur standing on end and bristling aggressively as she glared, muscles stiff and static flickering around her tail. “Eh heh, heh, heh... Sorry,” the Finneon chuckled weakly, forehead beading with sweat as he quickly backed up. Abby took a slow, deep breath as she forced herself to calm down.

“One of these days, Finn,” she complained as she straightened the basket hooked over her back. “I'm going to accidentally shock you unconscious or something, or some other Pokemon will. And _then_ , you'll find Sagara unsympathetic, since I _know_ she's warned you about sneaking up on Pokemon!” The Finneon chuckled again, wiping the nervous sweat away and offering a sheepish smile.

“I just can't help it, Abby,” he told her, shaking his head as the Shinx rolled her eyes, fur once more relaxed. “Anyways, if you'll follow me, those lights come over here. Shelly's waiting for you three over by the glass-blowing stall,” he informed Mano and his friends.

“On it!” The Tympole declared cheerfully. “By Abby!”

“Bye!” Pauly and Amelia chorused.

“Stay out of trouble, you three,” the Shinx told them. “And don't bother the new Pokemon too much! We want them to _want_ to come back for the Fall Festival!”

“Okay!” The three called back as they hopped away, chattering excitedly as they ducked under a Rapidash who was wandering around, waiting for the Festival to start; Abby rolled her eyes with a sigh as Finn chuckled.

“Come along, then,” he told her, leading her over towards the Evolution Solutions shop, where Lyra the Leafeon was bouncing around happily, her mother Vanora using Bubble to entertain a couple of young Mudkips. “Ready to place the lights, Lyra?” Finn asked; immediately, the Leafeon whirled around and skipped over.

“Ready!” She chirped; immediately, vines shot out from her shoulders, darting into the basket on Abby's back and lifting the strings of dark lights away. As they watched, her Vine Whip lashed up into the air, and elegantly dropping the strings of lights so that they hung artfully over streamers, lines of hanging wire, and over the edges of rooftops. A job that would have taken a few hours, at least, took the Grass-Type less than two.

“That was amazing!” Abby told her; Lyra beamed, leaf-like tail flicking cheerfully.

“Thank you!” She chirped. “The rest of the lights are in another basket over at the other end of Town, so I'll head over there as soon as Erica is back with the snacks from the Snorlax Food Stall.”

“I thought they were doing an Eating Contest,” Abby said; Lyra nodded happily.

“Yes, but they're giving out free samples and you can by Snack Baskets from them too!” She chirped; as if summoned, the Eevee in question appeared from around the side of the building carrying a small basket of berry-studded cakes and what looked like large jellybeans...

“Ooh, gummies!” Lyra squealed, bouncing over as her older sister rolled her eyes.

“You can wait until later!” Erica scolded, dodging her sister's attempt to tackle the basket. “Here you go, Mother,” Erica declared, dropping the basket next to her mother.

“Thank you, Erica,” Vanora told her warmly, before digging through the basket for something the curious, hopeful Mudkip's could have.

“Come along, Abby,” Finn urged happily, nudging the Shinx's shoulder with his tail. “I'll need your help at the stall, and then to help with the lights again later,” he told her; Abby nodded.

“Right,” she agreed, following along behind him. The Exchange Stall was a simple little thing, made of driftwood Abby had helped gather and painted blue with gold writing. Finn would be helping every so often, but he'd also been voted by the Town to do the Raffle Prizes, so he would be manning the Raffle Stall with Karen the Clampearl. He would only be back to give her new baskets of items to offer, but the stall would be hers alone, for the most part.

She was excited for the Festival to begin.

“Now, usually the Guild sends a few teams to help with the Festival set-up,” Finn told her as he darted behind her stall to nudge at the Items settled there. “But this year there were far more storms that traveled inland, so they're running behind. Thankfully, we've had more volunteers thanks to the delay, but they'll still be by later, likely to see the Festival and maybe help with breaking it all down in the morning. Ooh, I can't wait!” He declared happily, bouncing in place and beaming, and Abby nodded back, smiling as she hopped up onto the stool waiting for her. “Now, are you sure you've got everything you'll need, Abby?” He asked. “You remember the Exchange Rates for the Items and how to judge authenticity and the like?”

“I remember, Finn,” she reassured, smiling. “After all, I had a great teacher.” The Finneon flushed and laughed.

“Oh, stop that,” he told her, chuckling, before shaking his head. “I'll come by later to get you, so that you can help with lighting the lights, alright? Be good!” He teased her, grinning before darting off, leaving Abby to man the stall alone. A few Pokemon wandered past, asking what the stall was and what Items they had, but for the first two hours no one Exchanged anything, but Abby didn't mind. She enjoyed chatting with the new Pokemon and her friends as well and even helped the neighboring stall (a plant-stall run by a Roselia named Violet) set up some of their potted plants.

Soon enough, however, the Festival began to get into full swing, and groups of Pokemon began to wander the streets. Most of them were young children who went straight to the game and food stalls, or ooh'd and ahh'd at the Workshop Stalls (The Glass-blower's were particularly popular). And Abby had her first customer, a Persian who wanted to exchange a pair of Pretty Feathers for whichever Items she could.

“I can give you any five of these necklaces,” Abby offered, pulling the box out from behind her table. “Or and three of these miscellaneous Items,” she added, setting a basket of different collection-Items down. “Or, I can get you a nice bag and one of either offered Items,” she added, smiling at the Persian, who poked consideringly at the two groups of Items.

“What's the bag look like?” She asked; Abby pulled the three bags she had to offer out (A red one, a blue one, and a green one, each with a different colored gem sewn into the side). After a little longer considering her options, the Persian chose the blue bag and a particularly large, shimmering stone that was shaped almost like a Butterfree.

“Thank you for your Exchange!” Abby told her, returning the Items and setting the Pretty feathers into a different basket where the higher-priced Items went. Her next few customers were young Pokemon who wanted to trade whatever shiny bits and bobs they'd collected, most likely on the walk from their homes to Beach Town. As the day stretched on, more and more Pokemon arrived, including, she heard from some excited Pidgey's who were trading their four Sleep Seed's for some sparkling stones and a pair of matching necklaces, a few Exploration Teams. Abby soon found herself too busy to go see the Teams, however, and she definitely didn't want to just abandon her job to satisfy her curiosity.

As busy as she'd been, however, Abby was having fun. Chatting with new Pokemon, hearing about how they got this or that Item or how they'd once traded such-and-such for something, it was fascinating, and Abby listened eagerly to everyone. No one asked why she was so curious about seemingly common things, simply happy that someone was listening to their stories, and more than one Pokemon returned to chatter at her when she had no customers.

Morie stopped by to give her food, and Sagara wandered over to give her some strange smoothie that was supposed to keep her energized but not hyper. Mano and his friends stopped by as well, although that was to show off the cute little masks they'd won at one of the stalls, brightly colored little things that were supposed to be based on the Legendary Pokemon.

“I'm Victini!” the Tympole told her eagerly, bouncing about in such a way that told Abby all about the high level of sugar he'd no doubt eaten.

“Easy there, Mano,” she coaxed, but it was too late, and his hyper bouncing sent him rolling into the path of a Mankey with a strange headband that bore a large steel-like pendant in the shape of a twisting snake, sending the Pokemon's snacks scattering onto the ground.

“Oops,” Mano said, mask knocked askew. “Sorry...” Abby sighed.

“Oh, Mano,” she said, shaking her head; the Mankey stared blankly down at their empty hands, then at the food on the ground, and a vein began to throb in their forehead.

“I'm really sorry!” Mano told them; instantly, the Mankey turned, glaring furiously at the Tympole who froze, wide-eyed.

“You little brat,” he, as his voice denoted, growled as he took a threatening step towards the smaller Pokemon.

“Whoa there, easy,” Abby snapped, standing on her stool with her front paws on the stall table, frowning at the Mankey. “Accidents happen, and he already apologized. We'll happily replace your food, but there's no need to get violent, okay?” Mano nodded nervously along, hopping backward towards his friends, while Pauly and Amelia watched, wide-eyed and nervous.

“He just knocked my food to the ground,” the Mankey snapped. “Right out of my _hands_!” He continued glaring furiously at Mano, barely sparing even a glance at Abby, who frowned heavily herself.

“And he _apologized_ ,” she stressed firmly; the Mankey growled.

“That's not _good enough_ ,” he declared, smacking his fists together aggressively; Mano gulped, and Abby had enough. Swiftly, the Shinx leaped over the Stall Table to stand between the Fighting-Type Pokemon and the Tympole, static sparking around her tail and fur standing on end, offering a fierce glare of her own.

“That's _enough_ ,” she told him sharply as he froze, flinching back slightly from her as her tail lashed, sparks darting up and down her body. “He _apologized_ , we'll get you _new_ food, and there's no need for anyone to get hurt. _Understand_?” The Mankey flinched slightly as she growled, hesitating when a new voice called out.

“That's enough, Michael,” a female voice called; a Luxray wandered over, a mask of her own on the side of her head, this one of Celebi. Around her neck was a dark red scarf that held it's own snake-pendant, only bright gold.

“But Miss Emily!” Michael the Mankey tried; the Luxray simply stared at him, red eyes calm, and he fell quiet, dropping his gaze to the ground.

“I believe your Teammates are waiting by the food stall, Michael,” Emily told him calmly. “I'm sure if you tell the stall owner what happened, they will happily reimburse you,” Abby spoke up calmly.

“If you tell them that Mano knocked your food down, they will know to get payment from either his mother, sister, or me,” she told them; the Luxray smiled faintly, nodding.

“As the Shinx said before, Michael, there is no need for anyone to get hurt. Yes?” Emily told him; the Mankey nodded, and hurried off when the large Electric-Type tossed her head at him. “I apologize for my younger Guild-mate's actions,” she told Abby and the three young Pokemon. “I shall make sure to speak to his Team's Tutors about this incident. Although,” she added, amused. “I believe your Intimidate Ability had it well in hand.” Abby blinked, confused, before nodding back.

“I apologize as well,” she offered. “I'll make sure that he's fully reimbursed, and Mano will be sure to inform his mother and sister, _right_ Mano?” She asked, making the Tympole, who had been trying to sneak away, freeze with his friends.

“Eh, heh, heh... Right!” He offered sheepishly.

“Mmhmm,” Abby agreed, amused as she let her fur resettle. “And no more treats. You've had enough sugar.” Instantly, the Tympole slumped, pouting.

“Aww, but Abby!” He whined; she sent him a firm look and he settled, nodding sulkily.

“Come on, Mano,” Pauly coaxed from behind his Mew mask. “I saw a game stall over by Shelly's that's giving out bags of marbles if you guess the card right!” Instantly perking up, the three ran off, Amelia declaring that she would win the most marbles as her Jirachi mask bounced along behind her. Abby shook her head, turning and hopping back over her stall and onto her stool as Emily chuckled and padded over.

“Children are always so easy to distract,” the Luxray mused; Abby nodded in agreement, eyeing the older Pokemon's pendant curiously, which Emily, of course, caught. “I see you've noticed my Guild Ribbon,” she said, sitting down as Abby nodded cautiously.

“Why's it a different color?” She asked curiously; Emily smiled faintly.

“I am a member of a Gold Team at the Superior Guild,” she told the Shinx indulgently. “There are six different Levels of Teams, and each Level has specific Missions they can and can't take. Michael is from a Steel Team, which is the second-lowest level. He only started at the Guild last year and was then a Wood Team. Wood Teams are freshly joined Pokemon who are learning to be productive members of the Guild. Steel Teams, like his, are apprentice-level Teams who only do low-level Missions, usually around town, and are under the Tutorship of the next Level, the Bronze Teams. Those Teams are below the Silver Teams, which are below my own, the Gold Teams. And the highest-level of Teams are the Platinum Teams.”

“Whoa,” Abby murmured, wide-eyed. “So you're a high-leveled Team, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” Emily agreed. “As a Gold Team, my Teammates and I are allowed to take more dangerous Bounties, travel to different Islands, and even compete in the harder competitions at Tournament Island once a year. We also make more money and get more attention because of that,” she added, smiling.

“Do you make a lot of money?” Abby asked curiously; Emily shook her paw back and forth in a 'so-so' manner.

“Sometimes we do,” she told the Shinx honestly. “It usually depends on the Missions. Each customer offers what payment they can, which the Guild can negotiate on, and the level of difficulty, the location, and the agreed-upon payment determines which leveled Team will get it. Sometimes we get paid in gold or treasure or rare Items, and sometimes we get paid in goods, such as a large shipment of hard-to-get gummies or Berries or the like, although that's mostly the lower-level Teams,” the Luxray admitted. “My own Team, which is called Team Bite, has only recently come back from exploring an old Treasure Map. We went to this place called Foghollow, which is supposed to be haunted and cursed,” she told the fascinated Shinx cheerfully. “And while there _are_ a large number of Ghost-Type Pokemon living outside the forest, the inner-most part is just _dead_ , really.”

“Really?” Abby asked; Emily nodded.

“The trees were all twisted and gnarled and the fog was too thick to even see my paw in front of my face,” the Luxray said. “There was no wind, just this heavy, moist fog, and sometimes it felt like something was _watching_ us, you know? And there were these _whispers_ at night, loud enough to wake you up but not enough to hear what they _said_. We were lost for _days_ , and we almost gave up, but then we found the opening to the Mystery Dungeon.”

“Mystery Dungeon?” Abby asked, confused; Emily smiled.

“It's a Guild Secret, I'm afraid,” Emily told her. “But just imagine a very difficult, multi-leveled Maze, and you'll get the picture,” she reassured, and Abby nodded. “Anyways, this Dungeon had seven floors, and, when we reached the end, we found out that there was a secret entrance to an even _deeper_ and more difficult part of the Dungeon,” she huffed. “ _That_ part had another five levels, my Teammate Bruce, he's a Gabite,” she added absently. “Well, he was ready to _chew through the walls_ , it was so frustrating down there,” she complained good-naturedly. “But, anyways, we finally get to the end of _that_ and find this weird statue of a Mismagus, and it turned out that the place _was_ cursed, but it was actually more of a Hex by this Mismagus from over a century ago, who had apparently been betrayed by her Gengar best friend and swore that the sun would never shine on the forest again until the thing he'd stolen had been returned to her, even in death.”

“What was stolen?” Abby asked eagerly; Emily shook her head.

“No one knows,” she told the Shinx seriously. “The inscription describing the object had been worn away, but there was an ancient Map that leads somewhere on the far side of Silver Island, so a Platinum Team is going to take it. We still get credit for the discovery, which boosts our reputation, and the Guild gave us a large sum of money as a prize, but I wish we could have gone to find the object,” she said wistfully, and Abby nodded. She would have wanted to finish it as well. She hated leaving things half-finished and, if Emily was anything like her, then that had to be seriously frustrating.

“Ah, well,” the Luxray sighed, shaking her head. “It's the Platinum Team's jobs to take on the most dangerous missions, and I don't really envy them having to go through Emperor Guild Territory. I hope it's worth it, whatever it is.” Abby frowned a little.

“If it'll raise the Mismagus's Hex off of Foghollow,” she started slowly, frowning, “and set the spirit to rest, _wouldn't_ it be worth it?” Emily blinked at her.

“Well, it depends on how difficult the Dungeon is, really,” she replied. “And if the end prize would be worth it.” Abby frowned harder, sitting up.

“If you're only doing something for the prize, then it's not really worth it,” Abby told her firmly. “If all you care about is the prize, then the act itself loses its worth. It's like,” she paused, thinking her words over carefully. “It's like, if you get a coin every time you say 'thank you', then you start saying it _just_ for the coin, and the actual _reason_ is lessened. Rewarding the same behavior, or insisting on _getting_ a reward, promotes certain behaviors and attitudes that _shouldn't_ be promoted. After all,” she concluded firmly, “what if you _can't_ get a reward? Does that mean you shouldn't do the work _anyways_? What if a Pokemon needs help, and you _can_ help, but the Pokemon can't pay and you'll get no reward? Does that mean you just _don't help_? Even when you _can_ help?” The Shinx shook her head. “I think that, as long as you're actually doing _good_ , you shouldn't _expect_ a reward. The knowledge that you're _helping_ , that you're doing something _significant_ and _worthwhile_ should be reward enough.” Emily stared at her, thoughtful, a small half-smile on her face.

“You know something, little Shinx?” the Luxray murmured, smiling still. “Our Guild's Second in Command has said something very similar to that, before.” Abby huffed, her tail flicking a little behind her.

“Well then, you should listen to them more often,” she muttered; Emily chuckled.

“Perhaps we should,” she mused; before either of them could say anything else, however, Finn appeared out from behind Emily, startling the Luxray into leaping to her feet.

“Abby, come with me!” He ordered the Shinx happily. “It's time to light the lights!” Abby lit up, smiling.

“Coming!” She chirped, pulled a 'back in five minutes' sign from under her stall and leaping over the table to follow after the Finneon. “Come on, Emily!” She called; the Luxray sighed and followed along, amused.

“Here, here!” Finn declared, pushing Abby toward what looked like a strange metal device. “All it needs is a little electricity, Abby, and the lights will turn on!” Abby nodded, eyeing the cylindrical generator curiously, before taking a deep breath and focusing. She'd only learned how to use Thunderbolt during the last storm, after all, and the last thing she wanted to do was accidentally electrocute her friends. Static sparked through her coat brightly, and her tail began to glow.

“ _Thunderbolt!_ ” She cried, as she forcefully released the built-up electricity from her body; instantly, a bright, yellow streak of lightning erupted from her and slammed directly into the generator. Something in the machine began to whirl, and, one by one, the decorative lights all around the town began to glow brightly, like little white fireflies.

“Ooh,” the crowd of Pokemon murmured appreciatively before applause rang out and made Abby smile happily. Yes, she decided as Finn thanked her happily. Sometimes just giving a helping hand for the sake it was its own reward, indeed.

 

**Chapter End**

 

**Chapter Notes:**

 

Michael the Mankey was originally going to be interrupted by a Platinum Team-member, but then I decided Emily was more interesting since she was a Luxray.

 

I forgot which of the other two Islands were to the East of Gold Island and spent ten minutes debating with my best friends on whether it would be East from Gold Island based on the _map_ or East based on _Beach Town_.

 

The Legendary Pokemon Masks were based on the Japanese festival masks from various other anime's I've seen such as _Peacekeeper._

 

Gold Island gets Spring Storms, Bronze Island gets Summer Storms, and Silver Island gets Fall Storms. During the Winter, Tournament Island stays warm, humid, and occasionally stormy, while all three of the Treasure Islands gets snow storms.

 

Foghollow is based around the Foggy Woods in Pokemon Mystery Dungeons: Explorers of the Sky, only there is no Groudon or Time Gear, just a pissed off Ghost who wants her shit back, thank-you very much.

 

Michael's team is called Team Muscle and has a Machop, Meinfoo, and Hawlucha on it.

 

There is a Festival for every change of Season, as well as for every Eclipse (Both Solar and Lunar) and for every Solstice/Equinox, and for the beginning/end of every Tournament. This means that, on average, there are ten-to-twelve Festivals a year, depending on whether or not there _is_ an Eclipse or more than one of them.

 

Emily's teammates are Bruce the Gabite and Rico the Hippowdon.

 

HINT/SPOILER: The Second in Command of the Superior Guild is Sir Geoff the Gallade

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!!
> 
> Story Notes: So, while I already have several file-folders and several pages of notes/World Building on this story, I'm always looking for more help/inspiration! If you guys would like to suggest some things, I'd happily welcome them! I have all the Guild Information, Team(s) Information, and Main Characters Information figured out. I also have some Towns and Dungeons figured out, and some Missions. 
> 
> You CAN Suggest: Pokemon Characters, Clients, Missions, Treasure, Prizes, Town Names (Please!!!), Store Names/Items To Sell/Trade, Bounties/Criminals, and Food Mix Ideas (Using Canon PMD/PKM Foods! No Human Foods!)
> 
> You CANNOT SUGGEST: Legendaries, Crossbreeds, Other Human Characters, OP Characters, OP Moves/Attacks/Powers, Non-Canon Powers/Moves, Magic Things, Shinies (One or 2 will be accepted, but not every single one), Albinos, Melanistic, Mutations, Deaths, and no Original Pokemon/Coloring/Anything Not Related To Canon in SOME sense!
> 
> Seriously, I once had someone request I put their OC in my PKM/HP fic on FF.N, and it was a human-esque Scyther that was black with red blades and eyes and "Hair" who somehow knew all teh Legendaries, could beat all the Legendaries, and knew super awesome home-made moves that have nothing at all to do with anything.
> 
> -_-
> 
> There comes a point where the terms Suspension of Disbelief turns into Gary Stu/Mary Sue Denial.
> 
> Anyways, suggest what you like if you want!! I may not accept them all or they just might not show up until later, but Idea's are still welcome, and so is commentary/criticism! Thanks for reading~!!


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